Holsters or holders for various firearms, in particular handguns are known and are produced in many forms from numerous different materials. There are several separate and distinct classes of holsters including but not limited to professional duty weapons, tactical weapons and concealed carry weapons. The primary function of a holster is to secure a firearm in a specific location, such as on the body of a person, by controlling the movement of the weapon such as in a vertical and/or horizontal direction. In various embodiments, the holster can function as a safety device and include portions which prevent the trigger of the firearm from contacting foreign objects which could lead to an accidental discharge of the firearm.
Concealed carry weapon holsters make use of a specific location on the body to hide and secure a firearm, for example a torso, waist, or ankle. Concealed carry weapon holsters must be worn underneath clothing or completely encase a firearm in a disguised fashion in order to achieve concealment. Various materials such as, but not limited to, leather, fabric, metal, and polymers are used to form various components of the holsters, such as slots, straps, housings, paddles, or clips to tether the holster to the person.
Various holsters are known in the art.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,166,781 relates to pistol, or automatic magazine gun holsters, and its object is to provide a holster which will reportedly permit a gun therein from being accidentally removed, and which will reportedly properly and securely retain the gun in proper position for its removal when desired for use.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,768,177 relates to a holster, the general object of the invention being to so form the holster that the gun can be reportedly removed therewith the least possible effort, the releasing means being so formed that the thumb of the hand grasping the handle of the gun is used for actuating such means so that as the gun handle is grasped, the releasing means can be moved away from the body without requiring it to be withdrawn from the holster.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,765,107 relates to a holster for pistols.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,855 relates to gun holsters. The holster has a hook means including a bend adapted to be hooked over a waistband to be supported thereby. A portion of the hook extends inside the trousers. A stud is connected to and projects directly from the hook means remote from the bend inside the trousers so as to receive the discharge end of the hand barrel, thereby to support the barrel of the hand-gun inside the trousers with the grip resting atop the waistband where it may readily be grasped by the wearer. The barrel itself rests against the abdomen. The stud is pivotally connected to the hook means, whereby the angle of the stud relative thereto may adjustable be varied.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,184 relates to a light firearm mount fastened around a waistband or belt and includes an inclined pedestal having a J-shaped lip which is insertable into the gun's barrel for providing both a bottom support and vertical stabilization. Two clips extend laterally from the pedestal to provide a first lateral support for the barrel and a second lateral support for an intermediate portion of the firearm. A belt clamp having two laterally spaced clamp arms is fastened around the user's belt. The belt clamp can form integral part with the pedestal.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,358 relates to a gun holder bracket adapted to removably mount a gun having a first portion adapted for mounting on a supporting structure, a second portion extending at an angle from the first portion, and a pin extending from the second portion in the direction of the plane of the first portion. The gun holder bracket in operation is adapted to have a gun barrel placed therearound the pin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,355 reportedly relates to a fast draw holster having an open front that supports a handgun with a bore penetrating pin correlated with the caliber and with opposed sides compressively engaging the barrel. A spacer positioned forwardly of the pin reportedly prevents intermittent and non-uniform pressure contact with the front lower edge of the holster upon withdrawal of the handgun. A ratchet mechanism attaching the holster to a belt supported fender reportedly permits the degree of vertical alignment of the holster to be adjusted commensurate with a shooter's preference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,471 relates to a gun holster comprising a main frame, two flattened C-shaped pieces or the like for mounting the holster to an object, a trigger guard support arm or the like to prevent lateral movement, and a gun support such as a barrel support arm. Also, either a frame support arm or a cylinder locking arm, depending on the type of pistol to be holstered, are provided. The holster may also comprise a unitary piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,507 relates to a holder for a weapon to be concealed beneath a user's garment that includes an elongated support plate member with a base portion at one end, a central portion extending at an angle with respect to the base portion and an upper portion extending from the central portion at an angle with respect to the central portion and the upper portion being in substantial perpendicular relationship with respect to the base portion. A front guiding plate member is perpendicularly mounted to one of the lateral edges at the upper and central portions. A rear guiding plate perpendicularly is mounted to the other lateral edge on the central portion and cooperatively positioned to substantially coincide with the trigger area of said weapon. A clip assembly for removably attaching the holder to a user's garment and the clip assembly being securely mounted to said front guiding plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,739 relates to a holder for weapons that include a barrel with a through opening and a trigger guard. A main plate assembly has a perpendicularly extending fixed base portion at one end and a movable base portion slidably mounted thereon to accommodate barrels of different dimensions. A pin receivable within the through opening is rigidly and perpendicularly mounted on the movable base portion. A pivotally mounted trigger guide assembly partially houses the trigger guard and, with the pin, supports the weapon when the holder is mounted to a flat surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,623 relates to a device reportedly capable of securing a firearm, with an incorporated trigger guard designed specifically to prevent accidental discharge of the weapon. The device also has an incorporated belt clip allowing the device to be attached to a belt or a pair of pants worn by a user. The device also has an incorporated gun barrel holder, allowing an additional securing means for a weapon that is placed within the present invention. A cloth cover on the gun barrel holder reportedly insures that the barrel of any weapon placed into the present invention will remain clean. The device also includes a rear mounted strap reportedly allowing any weapon placed within the device to be securely positioned in a non-flexible position.
Some common problems associated with concealed carry weapon holsters include one or more of printing, bulging, dress code application, accessibility, comfort, brand recognition and affordability.
Printing occurs when the basic size, shape and outline of a weapon becomes visible through the fabric of clothing used to conceal the weapon. When printing occurs, it can reveal the basic type of firearm one is carrying, the location of the weapon, and the manner in which the weapon is positioned.
With respect to bulging, when a firearm is encased in a holster, the holster adds size, weight and girth to the outside dimensions of the weapon in many cases. Furthermore, many holster manufacturers intentionally add excess encasement materials to alter the shape and outline of the firearm in effort to combat printing. Although these techniques are routinely used to disguise a weapon, they increase mass and make the firearm more difficult to conceal. Some of these holsters can produce large and pronounced bulges when worn under clothing. Although these bulges may not fully resemble the shape or outline of a firearm, they certainly draw attention to the area where the weapon is secured. Large bulges that are located on specific areas of the torso, waist, and ankles are often indicative of a concealed carry weapon.
With respect to dress code application, most concealed carry weapon holsters require the use of thick, loose fitting clothing in order to solve the problems associated with printing and bulging. Clothing that is commonly used for concealment includes: jackets, sweatshirts, and un-tucked flannel or button-type shirts. In most cases, at least one layer of clothing must be un-tucked and remain outside of (over) the waistband to conceal the firearm. Lightweight clothing that is suitable for warm seasons or climates, as well as attire for some formal, business or social settings, often renders these holsters useless for concealment purposes. Although there are a few holsters that have attempted to allow the user to tuck a shirt into the waistband over the top of a firearm, many of them result in a bulging effect. In addition to this, the clips which anchor most of these holsters to the waistband remain exposed and readily identifiable to anyone that is familiar with these types of holsters.
Regarding accessibility, some concealed carry weapon holsters are designed to secure firearms in more obscure areas of the body such as the chest, upper back, below the armpit, and the ankle. Although some of these holsters provide excellent concealment capabilities, they may impede the rapid deployment of a firearm. When a firearm is secured on an obscure portion of the body it can require a considerable amount of time, effort, and range of motion to deploy the weapon.
Considering comfort, most concealed carry weapon holsters are or static in design. These holsters may be very comfortable in one position and very uncomfortable in another position (standing/sitting). Some common problems include pinching, prodding, and minor skin irritation. Other holsters must be worn over and around entire regions of the body such as the torso and belly. These systems often result in increased perspiration and can also lead to mild skin irritations.
Some concealed carry weapon holsters are manufactured to look like other items such as an over-sized cell phone case, a fanny pack, or a Walkman® radio. Many consider this to be a fad market and as such there are a very limited number of products to choose from. These products are advertised as holsters and therefore it should be presumed that they will be recognized as such.
With respect to affordability, most concealed carry weapon holsters are firearm specific meaning that they will only fit one particular make and model of weapon. Therefore, if one wants to carry different firearms, he or she will be required to purchase additional holsters. In addition to this, there are certain holster shirts, underwear, and bellybands that are essentially articles of clothing with a sewn in holster. If this type of system is utilized you will need to purchase several holsters.